It was only when she could no longer care for her grandchildren that she sought help.

Samburu is one of the largest counties in the country, but it has no ophthalmologist. Instead a cataract surgeon, an ophthalmic nurse and an assistant nurse look after a population of nearly 120,000.

Earlier this year, The Fred Hollows Foundation in Kenya teamed up with staff from the Maralal Hospital to conduct an outreach in Wamba. During the course of a week, the team restored sight to 54 people.

Sereiyen was one of them. She turned up at Wamba with a sack of potatoes, offering to cook the vegetables for the children but only when she was able to see again.

She says she had heard stories of people having their eyes taken out and replaced with goat’s eyes. So she was relieved to find out that a Kenyan doctor would undertake her surgery.

“I knew I could trust one of my own,” she said.

Sereiyen’s cataract operation was a success.

The sprightly grandmother has not only regained her sight but is able to cook and care for her grandchildren once more and to join in the local gossip.